Skyrim:Word Wall

A Word Wall is a wall etched with a set of words in the Dragon Language. Multiple Word Walls can be found in various locations throughout Skyrim.

On each Word Wall one of these words may be highlighted. A highlighted word is a Word of Power, that allows you to unlock one word in one of the twenty Dragon Shouts. Once you have found a Word of Power you must absorb a Dragon soul to use the associated Dragon Shout.

You can only obtain one location at a time from each method, but you can use both methods at once. Neither source will ever direct you to a location that is potentially quest-locked (even if the quest is active), or to locations that are missing from their list (Frostmere Crypt and Shalidor's Maze).